AvonleaCF
09-17-2007, 05:02 PM
I stayed solo at Riverside September 1-9, 2007.
The wait to check-in was very long, but the cast member that checked me in was polite and helpful.
I had requested to be near the main building and was placed in Oak Manor, room 9051 (I hadn't noted any preference between the mansions and the bayau).
Oak Manor was a great location. A quick walk from the main building and over the bridge and you're there. And the mansion side was gorgeous (especially at night; the lights twinkled off the water).
My room was on the ground floor but there was no noise from the outside nor above me. The room was spacious and clean. I tipped every day but never received a towel animal, but there were always plenty of regular towels and they always left plenty of soap and shampoo (in fact, I brought my own shampoo and never used the Mickey ones, yet they left a new one every day! It was quite amusing as a I developed quite a collection). But I was satisfied with how the room was cleaned every day.
The bathroom was nothing to get excited about. The sinks were separate from the toilet/bath and had a curtain to separate them from the bedroom. It was functional. Nothing fancy.
The room itself was quite a nice size (well, I was just one person...) with 2 double beds, a desk with 2 chairs, an armoir, and a fridge. The fridge came in quite handy as I had a lot of leftovers (thanks to the dining plan).
I loved using the East Depot behind Oak Manor, as it was less crowded than the main stop. Note: in the mornings the buses tended to go to French Quarter first, then at Riverside they actually skipped the main (South) stop, going straight to West, then North, then East, before going to South. Since most people got the bus from the main stop, it meant you nearly always got a seat in the morning from a stop other than the main one. Later in the day the South stop was first and then would stop every where else, East being last. I usually got off at the main stop on the way back because it was faster for me to walk than to wait on the bus.
The buses are shared with French Quarter, so they were crowded most of the time. Never a problem with big waits and the service was fine, but the buses were often jam packed (and I was there during a light week). That was the only negative.
I also really loved having a quiet pool next door. I found the main pool too loud and crowded for my liking, and I kept having to keep an eye on my stuff, since I was alone, so I didn't like it. But the quiet pool was just that: quiet! Almost no one there each time I went. And I was actually able to get a chair and leave my stuff on it and not worry.
I went to the food court twice and enjoyed it both times. A lot of options and tons of tables. On the dining plan you can choose any dessert from a large case. I never went to Boatwrights nor the piano bar.
The gift shop was large and had a great selection. I was able to use a snack credit to buy a bag of bagels for breakfasts during the week.
I really can't stand cigaratte smoke and never noticed anyone smoking outside the designated areas, which was good.
Twice I wandered around the resort and really loved how beautiful it is. Everything was beautifully landscaped. But the place is huge, so be wary. I also got off the bus at French Quarters once and strolled back over to Riverside.
The boat service was my favorite part. It was very efficient; you never waited more than 10 minutes. It was a lovely ride and once I had a great captain who knew a lot of trivia. It was particularly nice during a sunset. Tip: if you need to get from Riverside to another resort, and have time (the boat takes about 25 minutes), take the boat to Downtown Disney and then transfer to a bus.
So other than the crowded busses and main pool, I loved it, and would recommend it.
The wait to check-in was very long, but the cast member that checked me in was polite and helpful.
I had requested to be near the main building and was placed in Oak Manor, room 9051 (I hadn't noted any preference between the mansions and the bayau).
Oak Manor was a great location. A quick walk from the main building and over the bridge and you're there. And the mansion side was gorgeous (especially at night; the lights twinkled off the water).
My room was on the ground floor but there was no noise from the outside nor above me. The room was spacious and clean. I tipped every day but never received a towel animal, but there were always plenty of regular towels and they always left plenty of soap and shampoo (in fact, I brought my own shampoo and never used the Mickey ones, yet they left a new one every day! It was quite amusing as a I developed quite a collection). But I was satisfied with how the room was cleaned every day.
The bathroom was nothing to get excited about. The sinks were separate from the toilet/bath and had a curtain to separate them from the bedroom. It was functional. Nothing fancy.
The room itself was quite a nice size (well, I was just one person...) with 2 double beds, a desk with 2 chairs, an armoir, and a fridge. The fridge came in quite handy as I had a lot of leftovers (thanks to the dining plan).
I loved using the East Depot behind Oak Manor, as it was less crowded than the main stop. Note: in the mornings the buses tended to go to French Quarter first, then at Riverside they actually skipped the main (South) stop, going straight to West, then North, then East, before going to South. Since most people got the bus from the main stop, it meant you nearly always got a seat in the morning from a stop other than the main one. Later in the day the South stop was first and then would stop every where else, East being last. I usually got off at the main stop on the way back because it was faster for me to walk than to wait on the bus.
The buses are shared with French Quarter, so they were crowded most of the time. Never a problem with big waits and the service was fine, but the buses were often jam packed (and I was there during a light week). That was the only negative.
I also really loved having a quiet pool next door. I found the main pool too loud and crowded for my liking, and I kept having to keep an eye on my stuff, since I was alone, so I didn't like it. But the quiet pool was just that: quiet! Almost no one there each time I went. And I was actually able to get a chair and leave my stuff on it and not worry.
I went to the food court twice and enjoyed it both times. A lot of options and tons of tables. On the dining plan you can choose any dessert from a large case. I never went to Boatwrights nor the piano bar.
The gift shop was large and had a great selection. I was able to use a snack credit to buy a bag of bagels for breakfasts during the week.
I really can't stand cigaratte smoke and never noticed anyone smoking outside the designated areas, which was good.
Twice I wandered around the resort and really loved how beautiful it is. Everything was beautifully landscaped. But the place is huge, so be wary. I also got off the bus at French Quarters once and strolled back over to Riverside.
The boat service was my favorite part. It was very efficient; you never waited more than 10 minutes. It was a lovely ride and once I had a great captain who knew a lot of trivia. It was particularly nice during a sunset. Tip: if you need to get from Riverside to another resort, and have time (the boat takes about 25 minutes), take the boat to Downtown Disney and then transfer to a bus.
So other than the crowded busses and main pool, I loved it, and would recommend it.